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On todays show, we talk with Vince Morales, Social Services Project Manager and Co-Founder of Veterans Community Project. VCP Village, located at 89th and Troost in Kansas City, Missouri, is an innovative community of 49 tiny houses for Veterans experiencing homelessness. The homes range in size from 240 to 320 square feet, meet all local city code requirements, and connect to city utility services. Approximately 70% of the Village construction was performed by community volunteers. Many Veterans arrive at VCP Village with little more than the pain, uncertainty, and loneliness of life on the streets. A tiny house provides everything he or she needs to live with dignity and safety; new furniture, appliances, housewares, bedding, food, and utilities, free of charge. More importantly, VCP Village provides sanctuary and the emotional space needed for the Veteran and VCP's Veteran Support Services team to thoroughly address the underlying causes of his or her homelessness. Together, the Veteran and VCP's specially-trained case managers work to achieve incremental, lasting results in the areas of health and wellness, education, employment, financial literacy, and the development of a personal support network. www.veteranscommunityproject.org

On todays show we speak to Executive Coach at Tribe + Purpose and Auther of Enable Your Team's Success: Succeed in Life and Business with a Strong Team, Otis W. McGregor III, CPD, CPC. Enable Your Team's Success walks the reader through the foundations it takes to be a successful leader and build and run a successful team. It starts with how you define your success as a person and a leader and moves to how to build your team and lead them. Otis explains the concepts in easy to understand terms and then shows the reader how he applied those fundamentals in business, Special Forces and on the rugby pitch. LTC, Special Forces, US Army, Retired Otis McGregor leads Tribe and Purpose with his son Camden as the principal leadership and success coach. With over 40 years of experience as a leader, coach, and team member, Otis embodies the values and principles of Tribes and Purposes. Otis is driven both by these values and the idea that better leaders and tribes create better organizations, building better communities leading to a better world. Brought to the civilian world after retirement, Otis walks the walk and talks the talk. Spend five minutes with him, and he will inspire your heart and mind. www.tribe-purpose.com

Mike and Serena have the honor of speaking to Gold Star wife Michelle Black, Author of Sacrifice: A Gold Star Widow's Fight For the Truth. What is Sacrifice about? The shocking and affecting memoir from a gold-star widow searching for the truth behind her Green Beret husband’s death, this book bears witness to the true sacrifices made by military families. When Green Beret Bryan Black was killed in an ambush in Niger in 2017, his wife Michelle saw her worst nightmare become a reality. She was left alone with her grief and with two young sons to raise. But what followed Bryan’s death was an even more difficult journey for the young widow. After receiving very few details about the attack that took her husband’s life, it was up to Michelle to find answers. It became her mission to learn the truth about that day in Niger–and Sacrifice is the result of that mission.In this heartbreaking and revelatory memoir, Michelle uses exclusive interviews with the survivors of her husband’s unit, research into the military leadership and accountability, and her own unique vantage point as a gold-star widow to tell a previously unknown story. Sacrifice is both an honest, emotional look inside a military marriage and a searing investigation of the people and decisions at the heart of the US military. https://michelleblacksacrifice.com/

On todays show Michael and Serena talk to guest Army Veteran Stephen Machuga, Founder and Executive Director at Stack Up. Stack Up brings both veterans and civilian supporters together through a shared love of video gaming using our primary programs: The Stacks, Supply Crates, Air Assaults, and the Stack Up Overwatch Program [StOP]. "Active duty military personnel face extraordinary pressure in the line of duty. However, after their service is over, we understand another challenge begins for many. It is okay to want to be healthy and seek help, whether facing troubling times, feeling a lack of purpose, or having lost the will to persevere. At Stack Up, we aim to break down the stigmas associated with these issues through the use of gaming." www.stackup.org

On this episode of Diapers and Deployments Michael and Serena talk to guest Actor Michael Gier, Director and Producer of Documentary "Wounded Heroes." The story of his journey to find alternative treatments and programs is inspiring and includes stories of the many Veterans and 1st Responders he interviewed that overcame what seemed to be impossible. His story is a message of Hope that anyone can live the life of their dreams no matter the obstacles or circumstances they're currently facing. Many battling Post-Traumatic Stress believe that it's a "life sentence" but as the film shows, that's not true. Wounded Heroes features Veterans that had lost hope but now have their lives back because their PTS is gone. They went from contemplating suicide to living happy fulfilling lives. https://www.woundedheroesdocumentary.com/

Making the decision to leave the military can be very scary, no matter how many years you've served. You've been told what job you will do, where you'll do it, how much you'll get paid to do it. The fear of not knowing what job lies ahead for you as a civilian can add a lot of added stress mentally and financially. Michael went through this as a service member and Serena did as a spouse, and have talked about their experiences on past episodes. Wouldn't it be nice for a service member and/or their spouse to be able to chat with someone whos already in corporate America? "American Corporate Partners (ACP) is a national nonprofit organization focused on helping returning veterans and active duty spouses find their next careers through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice. ACP engages the American people in a unique volunteer opportunity to provide career guidance to returning military as they transition back into civilian life. We believe that the biggest issue facing our returning service members is not unemployment – it’s underemployment. ACP focuses on helping veterans and active duty spouses find meaningful employment opportunities and develop long-term careers." We have guest Richard Comitz, Senior Vice Present of American Corporate Partners on to tell us all about this great organization for veterans and their spouses! https://www.acp-usa.org/

A lot of people hit the new year with piled-on debt from the holidays. We all want to give our families the world, but sometimes that entails living beyond our means and carrying on the burden of debt for years and years. Perhaps you need the newest car in the driveway with a monthly payment as much as your paycheck. Are you able to save money each month for retirement? Are you able to pay more than the minimum payment on however many credit cards you may have? These are all questions we've asked ourselves at some point in our lives. Michael and Serena found an expert to ask! We talk to Certified Financial Advisor, Nicole Augugliaro, about changing our mindset about money and getting to retirement by being strategic. We barely scratch the surface with Nicole, but her services are available near and far! No need to be local to chat with Nicole and get on the right path to financial success. Watch the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OiMd_dTjIa0 Connect with Nicole LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-augugliaro-b98008149/

If you've been paying attention to the real estate market the past year, I'm sure you have seen how wild its been. I've never thought about investing in property, but times like these make me think about it. Michael and Serena talk to guest Jay Johnson, CEO of Landing Collective Real Estate Solutions and Host of Expert(ish) podcast. Landing Collective Real Estate Solutions is a Veteran-Owned, Team Based Organization that helps others buy, sell and invest with ease. https://www.landingcollective.com/ https://www.yourpcspartners.com/

Are you looking for your next career step after your military Service? Are you within 180 days of transition? If your active duty and haven't heard of the Skillbridge program, you need to listen to this podcast episode! Discover opportunities to participate in training and development with industry and employers who are seeking the high-quality skills that you bring to the table. Today we have a guest from our SkillMil family, SkillMil Skillbridge Program Manager, Liza! She's going to give the details about the Skillbridge program specifically offered with SkillMil. You wont want to miss this episode if you're still trying to decide what you're going to do when you grow up! https://www.skillmil.com/skillbridgejobs https://skillbridge.osd.mil/

On this veterans day 2021, SkillMil wants to thank all of the Veterans and their families who have served and sacrificed for this country. TW: Veteran Suicide Todays show we get in deep with Nick Howland, CEO and Board Director of The Fire Watch. "The Fire Watch is Northeast Florida’s fight to end veteran suicide. We are uniting our War Fighters and allies to swiftly activate local assets, stand watch, and build a life-saving network. To date, no city, county, or state has systemically reduced its veteran suicide rate. This effort is the first of its kind in the country." https://www.thefirewatch.org/ Veterans Crisis Line 800-273-8255

On this week's show, Michael and Serena talk to Jaime Chapman, Founder and COO of Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce. The Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce's mission is to ensure that all active duty and veteran military spouse business owners have the tools and resources they need to strengthen their families, communities, and our economy. Founded by military spouse entrepreneurs with over 30 years of collective experience in the nonprofit and for-profit world. They are determined to provide the best in class resources to help our spouses succeed. https://milspousechamber.org/

Learning is the Engine to Success and www.AristaLearn.com fuels that engine. AristaLearn is a woman-owned, minority, small business dedicated to continual learning and professional achievement. Their dynamic training programs help professionals learn at the pace of technology. Special programs for active military personnel, family members, and veterans include 50+ approved professional certificates via www.ArmyIgnitED.com for Active Army and Army Reserves members. Certificates include Project Management Certifications, Security, Infrastructure, Blockchain, Human Resources, Strategic Leadership, Word, Excel and more. Those who have access to the GI Bill Post 9-11 can take their IT Leadership Certificate Program which helps participants achieve 10-13 high-demand industry certifications at an accelerated page. Students can access the classes from anywhere in the world, any time. Contact: [email protected] and mention SkillMil or this podcast Diapers & Deployment for special discounts!